Base-ball signaling and indicating system.



S. L. MADDEN.

BASE BALL SIGNALING AND INDICATING SYSTEM.

' APPlICATION 'mzn FEB. I6. 1916.

1 ,207,1 9]. Patented Dec. 5,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lgmmntoz S. 5.. MADDEN.

BASE BAH. SiGNALING AND INDICATINGISYSTEM. APPLICAHON FILED H55. 16, HHS.

E 4 Ym SAMUEL L. MADDEN, OF CHATEJANOGGA, TENNESSEE.

BASE-lfiALL SIGNALING- ANIU IIQ'DICATING fiYSTEM.

Specification of ilictters I'atent.

Pntented Dec. 5, 1916,

implication filed February KG, 1916. Serial No. 28,699.

To all? whom it may concern lie it lHlOWll that l, SABIUEL L. hlinnnn, a citizen of: the United States residing at Chattanooga. in the county of Hamilton and (italic o lllcnnessec, hare invented new and useful liu ncrements in Basc-llill Signalinsr and Indicating reins. of which the loll min; a spcci iwrention saline and indie-i I b ticularly for use in oasehall parks for the purpose of facilitating: and reducing the number o'l errors incident to the making: of decisions on plays occurring at the bases, and also for llHllCillIlllQ the r spectii'e scores or runs made by the (niposiir teams or sides.

The primary object of the invention is to provide electrical s-acjuz'iling means, automatically operable when a runner touches any oi ii vases or bags i or giving" an audible or ii ble signal atthe nion'icnt of con tact, aim the unuiiirea in making a proper decision as to a put-cut or force-out at the ham in Question. may q'n'cl y and roperly dccidc whether or not the runner i afe or has been putv onh the giving or the autoniai'ic signal relieving the umpire of the bunlen oi watching hoth players in action and reducing the problem to the simple extent oi Thin the player hanrillinfg the ball and iiii-QIli'llllllQ whether such player touches the runner with the ball before the latter reaches the li so and sounds the signal.

A Ii l'H'i-llkl object of the invention is to irovidc a means, inclmlcd in the signal sysciu. h i'ncans of whici the r scores if the respective tean'is, as or olhcr 1 oratory mailer in i in res a baseball in: system dosie'ncd par- '8 l 1 ooscrioeo ix had accomdi'awinfls in inch l icurc l is a to": "nan View oi" a "wort-ion ayingg iicl ndicatiun' in genc e in vent; on,

oral the app! i'ii'ion of '1 his, 2 is :4 i'ragincuary plan \"ew of the sanic. showing certain parts o'if lhe system in sec Zion Fig. 3 is a diagraimnaic icw of the electric circuit conn 'ihriie. l is an en- .crtical scciziou lhroug h one of the .isc1- 5 is a horizontal trans-verse section on sa e lino 5-5 oi. ig. J1, Fig.1 is a Yiccs as hereinafter fully described.

view or a portion of the bottom section of the frame of the base showing the contacts and wires associated therewith.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates in general haseball playing field, and. 2 the ijliainond thereof including the home base or plate 3, First second and third l ascs, l, J; and G, respcc tively. and 7, the itche shox, plate or slab. 8 designates the base line which extends l'ietween the bases, 9 the point or position occupied by the umpire behind the pitcher particularly when but a single oihcial of this character is employed as an arbitrator in the game, and 9' and 10 designate positions which may represent the dugouts 0r benches of the home and visitteanis.

Arranged at a suitable point in proximity to the unipires position 9 is a bell or other audible signal 11 which is arranged in an electric circuit including batteries or other suitable source 1.2 of current supply and co operating; conductors and circuit closing de- Arranged at or near the points 9 and 10 are suitable indicators or registers 12 and 13, which are connected respectively with conductors 1% and 15 leading therefrom to push buttons or circuit closing switches 16 and 17 locased in proximity to the umpires position and respectively connected with the battery by conductors 16 and 17, each indicator or register having a suitable ground connection 18 and. adapted to be thrown into operation by the closing of associated l button or switch so as-to register or any desired informatory matter. ,iulicatcrs are, however, preferably a annunciator' type and hear suitable in a n the face thereof and are proids or pointers for cooperw nrn'ierals indicate runs or to respective teams in. the i a run is'mznle by either learn the umpire may announce the saline in i s manner. thus settling all disputes speculations on close plays where the i stion of the scoring of a run is involved.

Arranged at each of the bases 8, 1-, 5 and 6 is a circuit closing device, which is formed by the base n'iarlrcrs, which in the present instance are markers of special construction designed to take the place of the usual bags or Sachs as well as the home plate, and to serve as circuit closers. As shown each 01"? these .inarli s comp a fixed bottom hers supper like section or member 19, which is of rectangular or oblong rectangular form, and an upper movable section 20, which is also generally of oblong rectangular form, the depending portion-of the section 20 being fitted loosely within the section 19 to adapt said section 20 to have :treevertical, lateral and tilting movements. The section 19 is buried in the ground up to the level of the top of its side Wall, while the section 20 has a substantially dome-shaped top 21 which is highest at the center and thence slopes in all directions toward its margins, and this sloping top '21 of the section 20 projects a de sired distance above the ground line. If desired, the top and sides of the box-shaped marker frame thus formed may be Wholly or partially inclosed within an outer casing 22 of padded canvas or. any other suitable padded or cushioning material, thus allowing the frame to be made of metal without liability of injuring a player, the pad or cushion being soft enough to give desired yielding action. The sloping surface 21 of the movable box section 20 also provides a means whereby a player in sliding may slide up upon the surface thereol without injury, as will be readily understood.

The section 20 is yieldably supported Within the section 19 upon a pair of bowed plate springs 23 arranged in crossing relationship, and. arranged upon the bottom and sides of the section 19 are spring switch contacts 24, which are insulated from the box sections, and are adapted to engage coactmg switch contacts 25 -for the purpose of closing the signaling circuit, the secondnamed switch contacts also being properly insulated from the box. sections to prevent short circuiting or grounding actions. The springs 23 and springswitch contacts 2% normally hold the movable box section 2G and centered within the fixed box section 19, inv which position the movable contacts are out of engagement with the coacting spring contacts, but it will be ob served that the arrangement is such that upon the depression of the movable box section 20 or any lateral or tilting motion of said movable box section one .or the other of the movable switch contacts will be brought into engagement with its cotiperating fixed contacts into action for closin switch contact, and will thus bring a set of the electric circuit. Hence a player placing his foot upon the top of the marker or slidinginto engagement therewith from any direction will move the movable section of the marker to establish a switch closing action, as will be readily understood. i

'The circuit connections include a main conductol" 26 leading from the battery} or {source of current supply, and other conduc- "ftors 27 connecting the fixed c of various markers with. o

with conductors 28 connecting said markers with the bell signal 11 whereby in the circuit closing action of any of the markers current will flow therein the battery and to the alarm device and sound the latter.

' the wires from moisture and to prevent any short circuiting or grounding except -L 1 .4. i

through the ground conducto s. it \Vlll, of course, be understood that a ground clrcult of the character disclosed may be employed, or thatm lieu thereof a metallic circuit may 'be used as ma 1 be deemed most advisable in practice. lit will be observed that the sections 19 and 20 of each marker are provided with a strip 29 to close the joint between them and thus keep out any particles of dust or dirt which may find their way through the outer cushion.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide, in addition to the scoring indicators above set forth, means for assisting the umpire in judging a play at a base and enabling him to render a more certain and more decisive interview thereof. In many cases the umpire himself is in doubt as to whether or not a player reaches a base in. advance-of the ball, or in advance of being touched by the ball in the hands of an opposing player, and resolves this doubt one way or the other, frequently to his own dissatisfaction. By the use of my improved signaling system, however, will be evident that as soon as the runner touches the base the hell or audible signal will besounded and the umpire therefore need not pay any attention to the runner, but may concentrate his attention on the other player Who handles the ball, it being only necessary for him to determine whether or not the ball is handled for the force-out or put-out before the bell sounds. this means the operation is considerably simplified, greater certainty in making decisions obtained, and disputes prevented, thus enabling the umpire to render his decisions with great celer-. ity and with better satisfaction to himself, the spectators and the players of the opposing teams.

I claim 1- 1. In an electrical baseball signaling system, a base marker comprising an angular box-like receptacle, contacts upon a plu- 2. In an electrical baseball signaling apparatus, a base marker comprising a rectangular box-like receptacle, contacts upon the bottom and sides of said receptacle and a movable member within the receptacle. said movable meml'ier being universally movable for cooperation with said contacts,

and means for yieldingly sustaining said movable member.

3, In an electrical baseball signaling and indicating.system, a base marker comprisin; a box-like receptacle, circuit ClOSlIlgCOIltacts upon the bottom and Sides n? w ceptacle, a movable member universally movable within the receptacle For coiipera- 15 tion with said contacts, mans for yieldingly supporting: said movable member, and means carried by said movable member for closing the space between the same and the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL L. MADDEK.

\Vitnesses:

N. I. BACON, \V. H. IlTe/Vvnv 

